'Justice Society of America' still carries the 'first' label

With the

JSA

profile about to get much higher this week as the major players in this week's World War II event by DC - which will span "52" No. 50 and four special one-shots - it is worth noting that perhaps no title on the stands deserves as much exposure as "

Justice Society of America

."

This is a flawless book and has been since No. 1 hit shelves in December.

That issue - a perfect relaunch by DC, which has experienced a number of problematic relaunches in the past year - was a jewel by writer Geoff Johns and artists Dale Eaglesham and Art Thibert.

While the JSA has long been described as the "first and greatest super-hero team of all time" and their status as the former is a fact not open to dispute, this book shows how and why they have earned the status of the latter.

The Justice League of America is often bestowed with the "greatest super-hero team" label and is far better known to the mainstream public, but the case for the JSA being the best is made by the three major DC comic icons who lead the JLA.

"The Justice League is a strike force. The Justice Society is a family," says Batman to the JSA's Wildcat, Green Lantern and Flash in JSA No. 1. "Your team has connections to every man and woman on this planet."

"And a lot of them need to learn what you taught most of us. They need a moral compass," adds Wonder Woman.

"The world needs better good guys," concludes Superman.

It is worth noting that this is a group that was originated when FDR wanted a team to watch over the country while American forces fought overseas in World War II. As a result, only three original members remain - Wildcat, who fought Joe Louis; the original Flash and the original Green Lantern - and the team has had to welcome a lot of new heroes over the years.

The new members, whch currently include: Power Girl, a Kryptonian survivor from a parallel universe; Mr. Terrific, the smartest man in the world; Hourman; who has super-strength for an hour at a time; Liberty Belle, an All-American powerhouse; Dr. Mid-Nite, a superhero surgeon; Stargirl, a star-powered and patriotic teenager; Damage, a human bomb; Starman, an unbalanced cosmic cowboy; and Cyclone, a teenaged mind witch.

All of the "next generation" want to uphold the legacy of their predecessors. But the main crux of the story is that there is a villain, Vandal Savage, who is determined to make sure there are no future generations of the JSA by eliminating the bloodlines of their members. He's enlisted a group called the Fourth Reich, which succeeded with the hero Mister America. They killed not only him, but his wife, sons, brother and sister-in-law.

They almost succeeded in doing the same to the descendants of Commander Steel by attacking a family reunion. Only Hawkman's intervention managed to save a few family members. Yet the glee with which they went about their task was chilling, as were their words, summed up by the speedster Blitzkrieg's line, "Women and children first."

It becomes clear that the primary targets are the heroes who represent American patriotism after the familes of General Glory and the former Minute-Man are also slaughtered. The team then deduces that the families of Liberty Belle and Stargirl are therefore the most likely targets and rushes off to save them, which they do in some exciting action scenes.

The gruff Wildcat then sumarizes why Savage's efforts were doomed to fail, saying "Savage thought he'd wipe us all out. But the Justice Society ain't just about family . . . It's not about the blood that's passed down. It's about the symbols. This team's an institution that's never gonna die. 'Cause no matter how many times someone tries to stamp us out someone else will pick up the mask. And the name."

This is hard-hitting, but fun stuff, with everything a fan could want: A team acting like a team; cliffhangers that have you counting down the days to the next issue; respect for the past, both real and fictional; continuing stories that are easily accessible to new readers and patriotic characters who aren't afraid to show their stars and stripes. *

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